This is a bird team. It may not look like it at first but it is. This is because one bird has been very cunning and disguised itself as a balloon. They combine to form a very powerful spikes stacking hyper offence strategy designed to overwhelm the opponent with sheer power but also retaining good defensive synergy.

The team has peaked at #1 and #2 as LoveLoveLove and FunFunFun with 1464 and 1442 points respectively following a successful laddering run. One of the most satisfying things about using this team has been the fact that there isn't a single Pokemon in the top 15 usage in NU. Swellow, the most common, sits at #16; Samurott at #24; Garbodor at #30; Probopass at #32; Drifblim at #35; and Serperior at #52. Yet it has no problem matching up to the top Pokemon such as Sawk, Absol and Magmortar. This diversity has made the playing and laddering experience in NU all the more enjoyable because there are hidden threats around every corner. I hope I can share a little bit of that magic in this RMT!

The idea for this team came from relatively humble beginnings. I was playing around with some Pokemon that I liked for fun on my fun account FunFunFun. None of them were anywhere near top usage in NU, and I never for a moment thought I'd get anywhere on the ladder. At the time Sawsbuck, Charizard and Ludicolo had just dropped to NU so out of those I picked my favourite, Sawsbuck, along with Drifblim and off I went. I quickly discovered Drifblim could sweep teams on its own and sometimes even beats Rock/Steel types by itself. I set about trying to take advantage of this.

Dodrio was fun to play with but competitively it just didn't cut it, and the double bird strategy wasn't working quite yet. I tried to shore up the team offensively and defensively with Magmortar to make a FWG core and drafted in Licki to stall-break.

I realised I desperately missed something that could counter birds, I decided to try Eelectross as a bird check that could also maintain momentum. Sawbuck was an amazing sweeper, but it was getting revenged a bit too easily and it was too frail to contribute to the team in any other way. In came Serperior to act as a special sweeper, which allowed me to draft in Braviary and revive the double bird strategy.

At this stage the team was working really smoothly and reached #2 in the ladder. However Swellow was completely dominating me because Eelectross could not check it. Toa Tahu and erisia posted an offensive Probopass set in the Project NU thread and it instantly caught my attention. It could counter Swellow and still do damage and maintain momentum. I changed up the EVs a bit while Swellow replaced Braviary and here we are!

Drifblim has to be one of the most disruptive Pokemon in NU. It is a spin-blocker, sweeper and lure all in one: like SubDisable Gengar, except on steroids. Thanks to Unburden, Acrobatics acts as a 110 Base Power STAB Agility. It can OHKO or 2HKO most of the metagame. The few Pokemon that can stop it, namely Rock and Steel types, are left crippled by Will-O-Wisp. What's even better is that thanks to its unique typing, Disable can force a lot of switches; with a few layers of hazards the residual damage can rack up very quickly. I prefer this set to the Destiny Bond variant because it can much more reliably lure Swellow's counters and beat them without sacrificing itself. Bulky special Electric types with BoltBeam coverage is probably the only reliable counter to Drifblim.

I decided to give it maximum Speed because it sits in the pretty crucial Base 80 speed tier. It guarantees to outspeed Absol, Ludicolo, Samurott, and tie with Braviary and Gardevoir before Unburden which allows it to set up on these threats in a pinch.

Don't worry, your eyes have not deceived you - Probopass packs surprising power and speed. If Probopass can get a massive hit on Golem on Turn 1 then often I may have already won the game because the opponent is unlikely to have another counter to my double birds. With Magnet Pull, Probopass can trap and eliminate opposing Probopass and Bastiodon, the two hardest counters to Drifblim and Swellow, clearing the way for an easy sweep later.

Countering Rock and Steel types isn't just what this Probo can do though, it has a fantastic typing that leaves many Pokemon helpless against it thanks to Balloon. It offers great support to Serperior too by beating Armaldo, Skuntank, Garbodor and most Poison types. Unlike defensive spreads, Flash Cannon and Earth Power has no trouble breaking Subs to prevent it being set up on. Another aspect of Probopass that is perfect with this team is that if it gets KOed it gives me momentum, if it doesn't get KOed the slow Volt Switch will still give me momentum regardless - perfect for hyper offence.

The Speed EVs are very specific, 191 Speed outspeeds neutral Golem but underspeeds all variants of Gorebyss. This means that I can Volt Switch after Gorebyss makes its move, allowing me to bring in the appropriate counter no matter what happens.

Garbodor is a very good Spiker. NU is infested with Sawk and Gurdurr who are prime set up opportunities for Garbodor. Garbodor also matches well against most spinners, the most common one Armaldo straight up loses to Garbodor while Cryogonal is hit for massive damage by Rock Blast and has a chance to be OHKOed. Rock Blast beats Ninjask leads which is also very important and its Poison typing helps absorb Toxic Spikes which is very useful against stall. Garbodor is so reliable at Spiking in fact I end most matches with 3 layers of Spikes. Probopass also forms an awesome mini core with Garbodor, the two can continually switch in to each other's threats and either lay Spikes in Garbodor's case or keep momentum with Volt Switch in Probopass's case. Their common weakness actually helps to lure Ground type attacks for Drifblim, Serperior and Swellow to grab easy switches.

I really wanted to use Gunk Shot but it renders Garbodor helpless against a lot of very dangerous threats. I chose Toxic as its main attacking option instead and it has worked well so far at crippling common switch-ins such as Musharna, Gardevoir and Golem. Clear Smog is a great move as it prevents Garbodor being set up on and allows it to hard counter Gurdurr.

The 16 Speed EVs ensure Garbodor outspeeds neutral Golem, guaranteeing at the very least two layers of Spikes if I choose to lead with it.

I've said a lot about Samurott before but it just keeps getting better. At +2, Waterfall OHKOes many bulky threats while it has Aqua Jet for anything that outspeeds it. Megahorn is a fantastic coverage move and allows it to beat Tangela, Shelgon, Amoonguss and Vileplume with the help of hazards. The item choice is another thing that Samurott really loves; Lum Berry lets it beat Misdreavus, Weezing and any other physical wall that relies on Will-O-Wisp. It even gives Samurott a very good chance to beat Alomomola. I'm starting to sound like a broken record but what makes it even better is its ability, Torrent, coupled with its bulk which seemingly is tailored to let it go into Torrent range with just about every powerful attack. A Torrent boosted +2 Waterfall is lethal, and Torrent boosted Aqua Jet secures KOes on the likes of Braviary, Electabuzz, Gardevoir often after just one layer of SR. Basically, Samurott has the perfect blend of power, coverage, bulk, speed, ability and movepool - the only things that really hard counter it are Quagsire and Frillish.

I use Jolly Nature because I discovered it still secures all the OHKOes it needs, while severely punishing Pokemon such as Absol, Ludicolo, Skuntank and opposing Samurott that don't have enough speed (which is all of them...).

Serperior acts as yet another set up sweeper. What it lacks in power it makes up for in speed and longevity. Not that it lacks much power - after one Calm Mind, Serperior is capable of OHKOing Magmortar and Braviary after Stealth Rock. As a measure of its bulk Serperior can take a Close Combat in its stride from Scarf Sawk while OHKOing back with Giga Drain and healing itself up again. At +1 it survives LO Cryogonal's Ice Beam and OHKOes back with Overgrow boosted Giga Drain. Serperior seems to be another Pokemon that has a perfect bulk to abuse its fantastic ability. It is an excellent check to Samurott and most things that beat Drifblim and my own Samurott. Taunt allows it to auto-win any CM wars and prevents phazing; not to mention the general utility of a fast Taunt to prevent hazards or other kinds of set up and makes Serperior another good option to lead.

Maximum speed is prefered to tie with opposing Serperior and try to Taunt them before they move. Maximum special attack with Life Orb secures some very crucial OHKOes that allow Serperior to sweep, while the LO recoil actually helps to bring Serperior into Overgrow range in time to drop a nuclear Giga Drain.

Swellow provides the speed and the power to finish matches the old fashioned way. I don't think anything in the tier can take on Guts boosted Swellow 1v1 that isn't a Rock or Steel type. Practically everything is OHKOed or 2HKOed. I can afford to have Quick Attack instead of Protect because of the slow Volt Switch from Probopass which gets Swellow in safely. Quick Attack helps Swellow avoid Sucker Punch from Absol and Skuntank as well as finishing off weakened Scarf 'mons such as Rotom-S. If Drifblim and the rest of the team have done their jobs properly then the opponent's team should be in a pretty shattered state, especially if a lot of hazards are up.

Maximum speed Swellow outspeeds the majority of the tier. Pokemon such as Cincinno, Floatzel and Zebstrika that fall outside of Serperior's net are easily caught by Swellow and OHKOed. Once Rocks and Steels are gone, Swellow can often end the game there and then.

This team isn't frail, but it is hyper offence. The aim is to try to get some hazards down early and try to sweep immediately. Since each sweeper on the team only has a few select counters, by applying offensive pressure like this I can lure out its counters very quickly. It just so happens that each member of the team can set up on whatever threatens the last member and the cycle continues either through switching or saccing until one Pokemon ends up sweeping through.

Stuff like Scarf Sawk is set up bait for Garbodor, but Band Sawk defeats it; but it in turn is set up bait for Drifblim. Drifblim is beaten by bulky Electric types, but they are set up bait for Serperior. Rock types defeat Swellow, but Samurott sets up all over them. Probopass can even actively trap Steel types to clear the way for Drifblim or Swellow. Every member of the team can set up in some way and once they do they can sweep a majority of the tier individually. As soon as a counter is taken out, the corresponding sweeper can sweep unhindered and that's what the team aims to do.

Electrode - This right here is the devil. It outspeeds my most powerful pokemon and OHKOes them, it can lead and prevent hazards with Taunt, it can Volt Switch to escape and, worst of all, it's the friends he brings to the party that really grate: Rain Dance sweepers. My best hope is to hit it hard with Probopass and then slow Volt Switch to respond to what it brings in. Rain will most likely be under effect so I'll have to survive six turns of that onslaught. If I can come out of it alive then Swellow more often than not can sweep the team, but surviving is not guaranteed. Thank goodness it is not common but definitely a huge threat.

Shelgon - Remember I kept saying Drifblim and Swellow can 2HKO most of the tier? Well this bastard here is it. Shelgon laughs at Drifblim and can take two attacks from Swellow while threatening to OHKO back. I really don't have anything that wins against it outright. My saving grace is that it can't really come in safely. But if it does get a free turn then I could be in big trouble.

Eelectross - This is one of the few hard counters to Drifblim. It doesn't care about Wisp, it has access to three attacks that can hurt Drifblim and it takes absolutely nothing from Acrobatics. It even avoids Spikes damage! Ampharos also deserves a mention here. Swellow can OHKO them after some prior damage but not after causing some major disruption to the team. A big threat.

Lickilicky - I'm talking about the Curse variant. It's never seen, in fact I've only seen it twice but twice it swept me. After one Curse it cannot be broken by anything and it has Dragon Tail to prevent my sweepers from setting up. Even Taunt from Serperior is useless because it can just phaze me out. My only chance is to have Swellow have two direct hits on it, not easy when it has Dragon Tail. It's very rare but very bad news for this team.

Serperior - The SubCM set is threatening because it can set up on Garbodor if it comes in safely. It can also set up on Probo but Flash Cannon breaks its Subs so it will have to predict right. It also checks Samurott and can sweep through Drifblim if it sets up. My own Serperior wins 1v1 against it and Swellow is a check but I have to play very carefully to preserve both.

Emboar - It's a problem because nothing can switch in on it, nothing in the whole of NU can safely switch in... It is easy to sweep through but if it leads then I have a decision to make. Is it Band or Scarf? Do I sac or switch? A very tough customer to handle... Magmortar gets a mention here for the same reasons too.

There may be other threats that I haven't remembered yet, these stick out so far though.

Shout outs must go to Godsend for his awesome UU team Hindenburg which first brought Drifblim to my attention.
Toa Tahu and erisia for posting the awesome offensive Probopass set without which this team could not work.
To all the sexy NU players for putting up with me, I may have trolled some of you on my FunFunFun account.
MMF for being a bitch and leaving NU for a few months. What a poohead.

Thanks for reading, and may NU be happy and enjoyable for many more years (or, erm, rounds) to come!

This is the best spike stacking that has ever been posted to date. Probably the only team I've lost consistently to on the ladder with my current team. The uniqueness of the sets and EV spreads got me every time. Who else would think of running +Spe Samurott, Probopass, or Acroblim? I have no suggestions that I can make without ruining the synergy of this team. Besides, the threats you listed are pretty obscure with the exception of Emboar, who can be played around. Congratulations on reaching #1 and creating such an awesome team!

Ugh what a shit team. How in the world did you take the #1 spot on the ladder???
In all seriousness this is a fantastic team and somehow all you're teams turn out to be very creative and very successful. If you want to help out your weakness to Shelgon you could always run HP Ice>HP Rock. You still hit Flying types but you gain the ability to nail Shelgon on his weaker defenses and also hit opposing Grass types. That change however leaves you slightly weaker to Magmortar but after all the hazards damage even Mag can't switch in as much. Fantastic team and congrats on the peak buddy!

Moderator

I got to admit, I definitely agreed about Electrode being the single biggest threat to your team for a long time watching you play so much. Your high level skill (one of the best NU players IMO) and team synergy ensures that you deserve that #1 spot. Great job, and Luvdisc'd!

Ah, I wish I was able to play against this team, but the university no longer lets me connect to Smogon servers, only Showdown. :/ Seems very well made, and I'm glad you liked my set :p outspeeding max Speed Golem is a great idea for running it on more offensive teams.

I don't really have many major feedback, but I can't help that feel that Serperior could possibly be a weak link. It doesn't seem entirely necessary on your team, and you could probably use something that forces more switches, to make the most of your entry hazards. Rain Dance Ludicolo could bring the pain, and reduces your team's weakness to Magmortar, Emboar and other Rain teams. Rain also helps out Samurott if it can come in, which is cool. Might be a thought.

@MMF: Answer: a lot of luck involved usually. Also I've been seriously considering HP Ice actually. Vileplume is a problem for Serperior and so is Altaria and Shelgon for this team if they set up. But HP Rock allows me to sweep Magmortar and Charizard... I'll test HP Ice I think!

@Agent Dell: Thanks buddy and most prolific team builder in NU ;)

@erisia: Thanks for the Probopass set. Serperior checks Samurott and provides a lot of speed. Taunt is useful for breaking stall too. I'm not sure what I'd replace it with, I'm not sure Ludicolo could do those jobs. I'll have a look at changing Serperior and Samurott together though, because they kinda form their own core.

Wow. I realy love that drifblim set, I had the feeling that poke could be very powerful but always ended up unsatisfied of every set I made. you seem to have foud that one set. Great job on the rest of the team too. I haven't got much suggestions other than for probopass. I've run very similar sets and always prefered rock stab to steel, the 10 base power loss seemed to make up for the coverage but if it's been doing well for you keep it like that.

Great team once again NLI, you'll have to teach me NU sometime ;) On another note, I've been running magnet pull probo myself to clear a path for specstaria, I hope you won't mind if I borrow (read steal) your set :P

@Sweet Jesus: Thanks for the suggestion, I've taken both yours and MMF's and I'm testing out Flash Cannon to Power Gem on Probo and HP Rock to HP Ice on Serperior. Hopefully this'll make this team less weak to Shelgon and still be able to defeat most Charizard sets. Thanks again!

Moderator

Oh boy, take a two-week vacation and suddenly there's a backlog of NU teams to rate. :/ On to your team!

I agree with the HP Ice on Serperior, since Magmortar can be handled well enough with all your priority and hazards. It also provides you with a way to handle Flying-types, since opposing Swellow and Banded Braviary can wreck your team if Probopass is gone (or gets smashed by Superpower). Truthfully, I kinda am at odds with whether Taunt or Substitute is better on Serperior, but Taunt seems to work for you I guess.

There's not much else to say, since this team has such great synergy together. Congrats on your peak though! :)